Considering India has surpassed China in terms of air toxicity levels, this is incredibly positive news.
Because India is presently one of the most polluting countries on the planet, the Indian government has undertaken an initiative to cut down on carbon emissions to benefit the environment and populace. Days ago, the energy minister of India announced that by 2030, India intends for all cars in the nation to be electrically-powered.
To ensure the ambitious goal is met, the government will be assisting the renewable automotive industry for the next two to three years, or until the market stabilizes. Times of India reports that officials are adamant that electric cars will become more affordable options for consumers, as prices are driven down “by demand and not by subsidy.”
“We are going to introduce electric vehicles in a very big way. We are going to make electric vehicles self- sufficient like UJALA. The idea is that by 2030, not a single petrol or diesel car should be sold in the country,” Power minister Piyush Goyal said during an address at the CII Annual Session 2017.
The energy plan builds on a similar initiative launched by India’s capital territory of Delhi, in which the city announced plans to ban all diesel-powered vehicles from the roads by 2025. The campaign truly could not come at a better time. In 2025, Greenpeace released a report revealing that India has surpassed China’s air toxicity levels. Additionally, New Delhi is now the most polluting city on the planet.
And, similar to elsewhere around the world, energy consumption continues to increase in India. According to Goyal, the country’s energy consumption has grown by 6.5% CAGR (compounded annual growth rate), more than the figure for the last ten years. He stated:
“Through UJALA, the LED distribution programme, we have already seen about 500 million LED bulbs sold in the last two years. My job is to improve India’s energy efficiency to reduce consumption wherever it is wasteful and ensure that demand is met fully.”
Though electric power stations can be powered by coal plants, studies show that electric cars are still far more beneficial for the environment and the public’s health than petrol or diesel-fueled vehicles.
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